Inmate Reception Center (IRC)

What Is the Mailing Address for Someone at the Inmate Reception Center (IRC)?

By Jane Un, licensed bail agent #1843448. Updated October 29, 2026.

The IRC has no mail address of its own. LASD says all men write to the inmate's name and booking number at P.O. Box 86164, Terminal Annex, Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164. Women can use that box or write to them at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. Rejected mail is returned intact.

What address do I use for someone at the IRC?

This surprises a lot of families. You do not mail a letter to 450 Bauchet St. LASD says Men's Central Jail, Twin Towers and the IRC have no separate inmate mail address. All men use one P.O. box.

• Inmate Name
• Booking Number
• P.O. Box 86164, Terminal Annex
• Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164

Women can use that same box, or this address.

• Inmate Name
• Booking Number
• Century Regional Detention Facility
• 11705 S. Alameda St., Lynwood, CA 90262

Put the booking number on every envelope. If you do not have it, see our page on finding someone at the IRC.

What mail does the IRC mail room send back?

LASD lists a long set of rejected items. The jail returns rejected mail intact. Do not send these.

• Food or cosmetics, perfume, powders or lipstick
• Cash, personal checks, payroll checks, second party checks, out of state checks or blank money orders
• Blank envelopes, metal clasps, stamps, stickers or glued labels
• Paper clips, staples, pens, pencils or glitter
• Musical, plastic or blank greeting cards
• Postcards larger than 6 by 9 inches
• Jewelry, rosary beads, string bracelets or balloons
• Lottery tickets, prepaid phone cards, tape, CDs or cassettes
• ID cards, and any gang symbols or suggestive art

A plain letter on plain paper in a plain envelope with your return address is the safest choice. The mail room supervisor line is (213) 893-5874 if you have a question about a returned envelope.

Can I send books or photos to someone from the IRC?

Books and magazines must come directly from a bookstore or publisher. LASD allows up to 3 books and 3 periodicals per week. No metal or plastic binding and no hard covers. Content with explicit sexual material, nudity or how to guides for weapons or crime is not allowed.

Photos can be no smaller than 3 by 5 inches and no larger than 4 by 6 inches. No nudity, sexually suggestive or gang pictures.

If a book or periodical is returned and you want to challenge it, LASD says you can file an appeal on its website within 15 days. A decision comes within 15 business days.

Should I mail someone who is only at the IRC?

People do not stay at the IRC long, and mail goes to a central P.O. box, not the building. A short kind letter is enough. Do not write about the case. Jail mail can be read. Skip anything on the rejected list, even a small sticker or a staple, because one bad item can send back the whole envelope.

If you are not sure the person is still booked, check the LASD lookup first. If the person is moved, check the booking number again before you mail anything. Money needs a separate step, so read how to send money at the IRC.

Is there something faster than mail from the IRC?

Yes. Phone calls and, once the person is housed, visits get through faster than a letter. Read how phone calls from the IRC work. Mail is still worth sending. A letter is something your loved one can hold on to.

If bail is set and your family needs help with it, you can start with 1% of the bail amount down on approved credit. The premium is set by our filed rate, and the rest goes on a payment plan. Read how 1% down works or start an application. We are a licensed private bail agent, not part of LASD.

1% down is a down payment on approved credit, not the price of the bond. The premium is the rate on file with the California Department of Insurance, 10% of the bail amount, or 8% when a private attorney is retained or you or the defendant is a veteran. The balance goes on a payment plan.

More about Inmate Reception Center (IRC)

• Bail at Inmate Reception Center (IRC)
• Inmate search
• Visiting
• Send money
• Phone calls
• Property release
• Release after bail
• Bail amount

Jane Un Bail Bonds is a private bail agent licensed by the California Department of Insurance, License #1843448. We are not part of LAPD, LASD or the courts. Rules change, so check the official source before you go.